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Barnesville Ambulance asks Clay County for major budget increase as service switches from volunteers to paid crews
Summary
Barnesville Ambulance director told the County Board the service has shifted to mostly paid staffing, is operating at a deficit, and asked the county to restore and expand support; commissioners said they will review the request before the county’s preliminary levy decision in September.
Avril Whiteford, director of Barnesville Ambulance, asked the Clay County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday to increase county funding to help the volunteer‑run service that has shifted to paid staffing and is running operating deficits. Whiteford told the board Barnesville Ambulance covers about 442 square miles in southern Clay County and a small portion of Wilkin County, responds roughly 350–400 times a year and staffed in 2024 with 2 EMRs, 19 EMTs, 11 paramedics and four peer‑support members. She said the service has moved this year away from the longstanding $1‑per‑hour volunteer model toward paid part‑time employees and that change — plus higher operating costs and decreased volunteer availability — has driven larger budget needs. “People don’t have the time, and they don’t have the money to give those resources…
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